Halfpenny Token of New Jerusalem Temple in Birmingham, England

This halfpenny token is the earliest known image of the New Jerusalem Temple in Birmingham, England. The Temple, built between 1790 and 1791, was the first building in the world erected specifically for the purpose of New Church worship. The New Church is a Christian denomination based on the Bible and the writings of the Swedish theologian Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772).

The New Jerusalem Temple is no longer standing, and no drawing exists from the time when it was first built. However, this halfpenny token, minted in 1796 by Peter Kempson, pictures the church on the obverse. This was one of a set of 27 Kempson tokens featuring images of the most prominent buildings in the city of Birmingham. (See External Link.)

Sources:
- Christopher Augustus Barber and Joel Christian Glenn, “Glencairn’s 1796 Halfpenny Token: A 3D Video Rendering of the Earliest New Church Temple,” _Glencairn Museum News_, Number 6, 2020.
- Kirsten Gyllenhaal, “First New Church Place of Worship in the World (1791),” _New Church History Fun Facts_, March 15, 2007 (www.newchurchhistory.org).
-E. J. E. Schreck, _Early History of the New Church in Birmingham, Including an Account of the First “New Jerusalem Temple” Erected in the World_, New-Church Press Limited, 1, Bloomsbury Street, London, 1916.